Wine #12: Dornfelder

On to the wines I received for Christmas. I have had a Dornfelder 2 times before, with the second try being an uber-sweet desert wine. Gladly, the third try was more like the first than the second.

 

Fritz Windisch, 2006 Dornfelder

color: garnet

aroma: dark earthy plum
taste: To begin with it was light, not at all dry, little tannin, and fruity (cherry and strawberry). It had less fruit more of an earthy balance the second day. Never much tannin.

Rating: Good

Wine #11: Blackberry honeywine

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I didn't know what I was getting when I bought this. The website listed Abouriou as the varietal, so I was disappointed when I got it and the bottle clearly said "no grapes". I drank it but wasn't happy about it. I definitely preferred the hard cider.

HoneyRun Proprietor's Reserve Blackberry Honeywine

color: dark purplish red
aroma: honey
taste: like blackberry juice with more body to it. The honey makes up the aftertaste. I don't really like strong honey tastes. Slightly sweet but not by much.

Rating: drinkable

Wine #10: Duras

Soon I will have another Bonarda to review and I can't decide whether to add the new review to the old post or create a new entry. Onward.

Plageoles, 2005 Duras

color: garnet
aroma: plum earthy vanilla
taste: Smooth, a little strawberry, dark earthy with low tannins. Tannins are the dominant flavor and yet it is still a light wine. Interesting

Rating: good

Wine #9: Bonarda

I got this Bonarda online, thinking I would never come across it anywhere else, then I got another bottle for Christmas. It getting harder for people to give me obscure wines at this point.

Nieto Senetiner, 2006 Bonarda
color: dark inky purple
aroma: strawberry, some cherry and floral parts
taste: The first day it had a little bit of plum and tannins and was overall dark and earthy. Later it the dark tannins became stronger with a bit of tobacco/leather and a little plum.
Rating: Good

Wine #8: Petit Rouge

This varietal is supposedly from a small valley in the Italian alps. It was not on my list of varietals before I ordered it which makes me think it is really petite syrah with a regional name, but I like petite syrah so even if it isn't a new varietal I still don't mind drinking it.

Grosjean Freres 2006, Torrette

color: ruby red
aroma: dark cherries, earthy
taste: smooth and light, slightly carbonated, almost no flavor to start with. Gets better and more earthy with time and some raspberry flavor comes out as well. Not worth drinking for the first hour but great after that.
Rating: Very Good